The hue and cry over ‘beef ban’ is very premature, especially in the
North-east. Like the Lokayukta, it is also a state subject. Many states
including Meghalaya are yet to appoint a Lokayukta. It is because most
people do not understand as to how a Lokayukta might affect their lives
too. But a ban on beef can have direct impact on those who consume the meat
regularly. Despite time and again being reminded that the ban on cow
slaughter as done by Maharashtra is a state subject, political parties with
considerable vote base among Christians and Muslims are trying to make it a
political issue. Some opposition parties in Meghalaya already expressed
their apprehension over the ban being implemented in the state in future.

It is but clear that the primary reason for this ban is the BJP-led
government’s commitment to the Hindutva agenda. The propagators of
the ban firstly took note of the country’s majority Hindu population and
secondly the ample use of dairy products by its population. They also have
a Supreme Court verdict on their side. In its 2005 order, the apex court
upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted by
different state governments. There is another reason till a few decades ago
for beef ban that farmers need the bulls to plough their fields. But that
logic almost holds no water with the use of modern technology such as
tractors in agriculture. Use of bulls in the field has become a history
several decades ago in some agriculturally-advanced states like Punjab.

Meghalaya having a majority population of Christians who are mostly tribals
cannot afford such a ban. But the situation has not warranted a ‘beef
party’ organised during BJP president Amit Shah’s visit to Shillong on
April 22 either. The state government of any party – even if BJP comes to
power in 2018 – will not impose a cow slaughter ban in a state like
Meghalaya. If rumours about pig fat being used to grease bullets could
trigger the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, such a ban will definitely show the door to
any party out of state politics. Hullabaloo over a perceived beef ban in
the North-east would only create confusion among the public and spare the
BJP-led Central government from being put under scanner on real issues
concerning growth of the country.

Despite all adversities, from cow slaughter ban to unproven criminal charges on his own, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah was the most-sought-after man in Shillong on Wednesday. Although the city nearly obeyed the diktat issued by the outlawed Hynnietrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to boycott his visit, there were beelines of organizations including the opposition parties to meet Shah to convey their grievances. While some had objections to policies of the Central government headed by the saffron party, the others pointed out at “failures” of the MUA-II state government led by chief minister Mukul Sangma. All in all, the BJP chief drew centrestage for various prominent voices of the state, despite the party being commonly seen in Meghalaya as anti-Christian and anti-tribal.

The BJP chief receiving at least a dozen memoranda from various organizations on a day of ‘bandh’ signifies the growing importance of the party itself in the state. There may be worries expressed by these organizations over policies of the BJP-led NDA government, but the piling memoranda also reflect the faith on the same party expecting it to bring solutions to issues of the various organizations. However, there were a few who went ahead with a ‘beef party’ branding Shah a criminal and his party just wanting to make India a Hindu nation. The manner of protest, notwithstanding its valid ground, did not have many takers although a few enthusiasts besides the hard core activists had the taste of beef on the street!

Besides political parties such as the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the National People’s Party (NPP), church elders, leaders of Seng Khasi faith, doctors of North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science (NEIGRIHMS), coal traders affected by the NGT ban on mining, a group of independent MLAs and farmers’ association were among those who placed their stories before the BJP chief. Shah must be happy about the amount of trust these organizations and individuals have put on him and his party to solve their issues, although some of them were created by the BJP itself like the cow slaughter ban. Former RSS leader and presently BJP general secretary Ram Madhav gave the safest answer from the party on ‘beef ban’, saying the party has no intention of banning cow slaughter in the North-east. Amit Shah, however, cleverly avoided the media apprehending the disturbing questions over cow slaughter and his antecedents. Overall, the BJP can rejoice from Shah’s tour given the amount of attention he drew from various sectors.

The reservation system in India has come under serious question. Obviously, it’s forcing the government to make compromise on quality which is hampering the country’s growth. In all government sectors, there are employees who got their jobs on the basis of reservation. If someone has the advantage of caste, the other has reservation for community. In the process of selection, they have ‘surpassed’ many qualified candidates, thanks to their caste or community! It does not matter whether you have the required quality to get selected for the job. You get the job if your certificate confirms that you are from certain caste or community. It does not matter if your family is rich or poor and whether your parents are educated or not. A poor but bright candidate, who has illiterate parents, might have to give in to a rich candidate with less qualification and having well educated parents, if the latter has the caste-community advantage.

The preference to quota over quality has much wider implications. In Meghalaya, the indigenous tribals already have 85 per cent reservation for indigenous tribals including 80 per cent for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo tribes. Only 15 per cent of the jobs are left for the open category. While compromise on quality is already made through the existing reservation system, a new criterion mentioned in a recent job advertisement is set to sideline many qualified candidates among the reserved lot. The state health department will make compromise on merit of doctors, if they are appointed as per the advertisement published by the Meghalaya State Public Commission (MPSC). The ad for 50 MBBS and four Homoeopathic doctors declared that “bonded” candidates will be given preference. The number of “non-bonded” MBBS and BHMS pass-outs in the state is far greater than the “bonded” ones, who pursued their studies under state government quota and had to sign bonds to serve in rural hospitals for at least five years. The MPSC advertisement, however, comes in contrast with the government stand that studying in government quota does not mean any assurance in getting a government job.

Although there have been intense debates on abolishment of the current reservation system in India, the political class are too worried to air their genuine views. They always end up supporting reservations for communities who they care for votes. There have been talks on introduction of a new reservation on economic parameters, but it is not yet clear when these debates will reach the floors of state assemblies and the Parliament, let alone their implementation.

The other day, a private security guard resorted to firing to scare away a group of local activists who came to a labour camp in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills region to ‘verify’ their antecedents. The activists wanted to chase away a few labourers who ‘failed’ to produce documents to prove their identity. The anti-outsider sentiment has been rife in the state for a long time. These labourers were engaged in construction of a vital road. There were many incidents of torture and harassment on outsiders since the birth of the state in 1972. Every ruling party appeals to the people to be tolerant towards outsiders while the opposition always tries to stoke the fire of anti-outsider sentiment.

‘Outsiders’ played great roles in every civilization. There is no golden era in history in any part of the world without outsiders’ contribution. Every developed society has a history of influence of outsiders. The glaring example is 500-year-old America, discovered by Columbus. The ‘discovery’ has changed the history of the twin continent and the world as well. The original Indians would not have been able to take the region, at least the US, to this present level. Migrated population from Middle-East had a major contribution towards building Europe. The Jews – despite Hitler nearly eliminated the race – are still considered a formidable race across Europe and America holding affairs of the world. In India, the small kings of broken kingdoms would not have been able to create the mighty image the Mughal gave to the country.

Yet, they hate ‘outsiders’. There are reasons. Outsiders plundered resources and undermine rights of aborigines. But the concept of outsiders has undergone a lot of change in the past centuries. Gone are the days when a race shifted their base to another region or invaded another race. People’s movement from place to place for non-military purpose increased in India since the British era. They have major contribution towards changing the face of many untouched parts of the north-eastern region. The region’s mostly hill states saw outsiders (Indians) coming along with the British to build roads, set up office, do logging, mining etc.

Outsiders are still coming, many more times the movement of people from this region towards the rest of the country. Now, should the indigenous people complain always about violation of rights? Should they always ignore the fact that present shape of their respective state is mostly because of the contribution of outsiders in the past decades or centuries? Or it is that they are developed and self-sufficient now and no need of the outsiders anymore. If not entirely, such kind of a feeling has developed in many parts of the region. If history is anything to go by, Meghalaya is at a crossroads with options of choosing between indigenous rights and development.

The Netherlands (or Holland) is one of the most advanced countries of the world. The 10th most populous country of 17 million ranks second in agricultural exports after the US. If produces a quarter of world’s tomatoes. Besides, peace is palpable in the country. There is no recent history of major armed conflicts. Besides all nature’s gifts from alluvial land to world’s one of the tallest people, Netherlands has another advantage to make progress, with peace – its majority population is non-religious. There are only 39 per cent people ‘religious’ people in the country. Since 1989, the people without religion became the majority in The Netherlands while atheists (25%) surpassed the number of theists (17%) in 2015. Although Christians are still the major religious group in the country, religion is considered as a personal matter, not to be propagated in public.

Most of the world’s major conflicts centred around either religious or ethnic affiliations. Reason behind the Holocaust was Nazi hatred against the industrious Jews. It was racial hatred again behind the massacre of Germans and mass rapes of German women – from children to grandmas – by Soviet Red Army after Allied Forces captured Germany. The Dutch, not a weak nation as evident in their history of invasion and conquering territories across world, might have learnt that religion does not pay much. Rather, it cost at lot. Their less attention towards so-called religion might be one of the key factors of Netherland’s international homicide rate (IHR) of 0.9 per 1 lakh people. IHR rate of the US stands at 4.7, India 3.5, Pakistan 7.7 and China 1. Thus conflicts – a major cause of which is religion – in a nation appear to be inversely proportional to its progress and peaceful atmosphere.

Social media in Meghalaya recently saw intense debate over a hoarding stating ‘We are Khasi by birth, Indian by accident’. Here the issue is both religion and ethnicity. Like most other ‘backward’ tribes in the North-east India, Khasi groups in Meghalaya are yet to embrace Indian nationhood. This despite the Central government’s 90:10 funding ratio specially set for the backward region. These groups are also very vocal about Christianity, which their people started adopting around 150 years ago from missionaries. The media are always agog with news about reservations, tribal ‘rights’, influx of ‘outsiders’ and also homicides on ethnic or religious lines. It will, perhaps, take decades for this part of the world to take lessons from Netherlands and live with peace.

Death of a king and a pauper are not the same. The latter does not receive any tribute and easily forgotten. But, even among commoners, some people are more ‘common’ than others. Racial bias comes to play here. Bengali Muslims (or Bangladeshis), who migrated to Assam and other parts of North-east in the past seven decades, are often treated like inferior human beings. Beating up a ‘Bangladeshi’ rickshawpuller on flimsy ground is almost no crime in Guwahati. As if they were born to be assaulted! The death of 14 labourers allegedly after consuming a poisonous fruit in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya has not evoked due concern. The primary reason, if seems, all of them are Bengali Muslims and hail from Assam’s Dhubri district where demography has changed in the past decades due to massive infiltration from Bangladesh.

Perception about Bangladeshi origin Muslims in the North-east is same, irrespective of their being Indian or Bangladeshi national. The state of Meghalaya ordered a routine probe into the incident, following protests in Dhubri and a second post-mortem on the bodies. But, neither any political party nor any NGO has so far condoled the deaths, let alone demand for an inquiry. They would have raised a hue and cry if one person from any indigenous community died under such circumstances. It is suspected that they consumed a wild fruit, which locals say is highly poisonous. But, under what circumstances they ate the fruit is not clear. Nobody survived to tell the tale! On the other hand, media in Assam are claiming that around 10 people of the group are ‘missing’. Meghalaya police should already have cleared the air about such a massive tragedy. On the other hand, the police are trying to term it an open and clear case of food poisoning and close the file as soon as possible.

The police have even allegedly violated guidelines of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by not handling the bodies properly. The dead labourers were allegedly picked up by excavator and dumped into pick-up trucks. Providing dead body vans to carry the bodies to Assam was not even in the wildest imagination of the authorities. Rights bodies raise hue and cry when bodies militants are handled improperly. In this case, they were construction labourers and not criminals! Could they afford to do the same had they belong to any other indigenous community of the North-east?

It is all but an open secret that beef was once a delicacy of the Hindus. But, the advocates of beef ban try to turn a blind eye to this historical data. Even the scriptures hold no value for them when it comes to references to beef eating in ancient India. The primary reason for this ban is the BJP-led government’s commitment to the Hindutva agenda. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed to had led the BJP to a landmark victory in the last Lok Sabha elections, activities such as beef ban and Ghar Wapsi are something that project an altogether different picture. The propagators of the ban firstly took note of the country’s majority Hindu population and secondly the ample use of dairy products by its population. They also have a Supreme Court verdict on their side. In its 2005 order, the apex court upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted by different state governments. There is another reason till a few years ago for beef ban that farmers need the bulls to plough their fields. But that logic almost holds no water with the use of modern technology such as tractors in agriculture. Use of bulls in the field has become a history several decades ago in some agriculturally-advanced states like Punjab.

Well before the much-publicized ban imposed by BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra recently, nearly 24 states already have various regulations prohibiting either the slaughter or sale of cows. There are various laws in transport of the animal. But none of these laws seem to be adhered to. Illegal cattle smuggling has been a multi-million trade all across the country. The trade has a large volume in the states bordering Bangladesh, which is a major market for beef smuggled out of India. Although the BSF manages to catch a few of them, the seizures are just a tip of the iceberg.

Despite all the logic and laws, the beef ban has definitely sent a wrong message to the North-east, if not the entire country. The region has a substantial population of Christians and those practising indigenous beliefs who have beef on their regular diet. Although it is for the state government to take the final call on such ban, pro-Hindu groups in these states especially in Assam are likely to begin a campaign in favour of the ban sooner or later. There is already apprehension about such campaigns in the Christian-dominated hilly states of the region. Such feelings might lead to bad blood and conflicts among different religious groups. It is not sure if beef eating is healthy of not but it is certain that the ban is ‘unhealthy’.

There are at least two battles every human being fight throughout life. The first is the battle for survival for which he does job, business etc. The other is the battle for existence, as a national, cultural or religious entity. Almost everyone of us have a sense of belonging to such entities. We raise our voice whenever there seems to be a threat of change to the entity. We don’t want change. But change happens, inevitably. But, people don’t want to digest the fact and fight against it. Root cause of most of the wars is this struggle for existence. Hitler’s message to the Germans that they would be overwhelmed by Jews one day caused one of the most brutal genocides of humanity.

While the battle for survival leads an individual to the path of progress, the other battle hardly results in positive outcome. There are many such existential battles happening across the globe. Half of them are going on in India where there are too many entities. The hundreds, if not thousands, of tribes and communities, and hundreds of religions and sects in the country are battling for space every day. While some are worried about influx of ‘outsiders’ into their domains the others go on demanding reservations for their communities in different sectors. The North-east is one of the most conflict-hit regions where insurgent outfits are born every other day on the pretext of fighting for the ‘rights’ of their own communities. Besides, there are hundreds of so-called civil society groups and student bodies raising the same voice, albeit in a different tone.

The other day Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) of Meghalaya threatened a showdown over voter applications by eight persons from a border village in Pynursla along the Bangladesh border. The eight persons belong to Bengali community allegedly originally hailing from across the border. Expanded to ten households now, the first family was brought there several decades ago as ‘translators’. They were effective in striking deals between the War (Jaintia) tribe and Bangladeshi traders. Now, according to the KSU, they should not be given voting rights because there was a ‘condition’ when their forefathers climbed up the hills to settle there that they would not get any right of an Indian citizen. According to the law, any Indian citizen living in a particular place in the country for more than six months gets the voting right there. There is urgent need for the government to step in and settle the identity of these families and not let the battle for existence aggravate any further.